The police command in Kwara said it arrested eight suspected illegal miners and recovered three trailer loads of marble stones in the Patigi local government area.

Command spokesman Okasanmi Ajayi disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Ilorin.

The police said the suspects were arrested along the Share, Tsaragi and Patigi areas on Sunday. It said the arrest was made possible following a petition and a letter written to the state Commissioner of Police, Paul Odama.

According to the statement, the residents of the Patigi local government area and the Association of Licensed Miners of Kwara State complained that illegal miners had turned their lands into a beehive of illegal mining of mineral resources.

The situation, the police noted, had resulted in ecological problems and sabotage of the economy.

“The police team swung into action and on Oct.10 at about 02:00hrs, the suspects were arrested with three trailer loads of suspected marbles illegally mined,” stated the police. 

The statement added, “The suspects are Abdulbagi Sadiq, Isah Amisu, Mohammed Idris, Alhassan Rabiu, Mohammed Abdulbagi, Ibrahim Balarabe, Mohammed Idris and Abubakar Tasiu. Exhibits have been recovered to the police headquarters, while the suspects, after interrogation and confessions, have been charged to court.”

(NAN)